welcome to 9 news now at noon. lawmakers are expected to vote this afternoon and judge sonia sotomayor has picked up support

from republicans to virtually guarantee her place on the high court. joel brown reports, however, that other gop senators insist she's the wrong choice. >> reporter: senators are poised to make history. this afternoon they are expected to confirm sonia sotomayor as the next supreme court justice, the first hispanic woman to serve on the bench. >> i have the upmost faith in sonia sotomayor. the president made an excellent nomination. >> barring a surprise turn of evens, sonia sotomayor's place on the high court is assured. democrats hold the majority in the senate and she managed to pick up the support of several republicans as well. >> i have concluded that judge sonia sotomayor should be confirmed as the next associate justice of the supreme court. three-quarters of the gop senators say they cannot support her saying she would bring personal sympathies and like really bias to the bench.

>> i believe her viewpoint is something other than what i see in the constitution. >> reporter: some are concerned about her views on gun rights. >> i respectfully oppose her nomination, because she's given no assurances that the second amendment is an individual, fundamental right. >> reporter: despite the day's long debate, democrats are ready to claim victory. there's little question she will be confirmed and be on the bench when the court begins the fall session. joel brown, cbs news, washington. >> reporter: senators have also agreed to vote today on adding $2 billion to the cash for clunkers program. this gives new car buyers $4,500 for trading in their gas guzzlers. the white house says the program started with $1 billion would run out of money tomorrow if congress did not put more funds in the pot. the house already approved the additional funding. dc council member marion barry came under scrutiny last month when it was revealed that his office awarded a contract to his then girlfriend.

well, now the "washington post" has uncovered much more about barry's official spending habits. our digital correspondent armando trull reports. >> reporter: the "washington post" says council member marion barry has been six times more generous than any of his peers when it comes to awarding outside contracts using the taxpayers dime. the article claims there is little evidence of what taxpayers got in return. between 2007 and 2009, he dolled out $252,000 to outside contractors for consulting work, media relations and temporary workers. some of the money may have been for political campaigning and not constituent services according to 0 the post. the second biggest is brown who spent $45,000 during the same time period. the district's contracting policies are being investigated because of a recent scandal involving barry and a former girlfriend he hired as a

contractor. barry repeatedly said he has broken no laws in his contracting activities. the "washington post" article also includes nasty excerpts of e-mails between barry, his former girlfriend and that former girlfriend's ex-husband, but nothing in the article said that anything barry did is illegal. so the end result maybe that those who love barry as well as those who dislove barry may come to the same conclusion, it is marion barry, being marion barry. at the wilson building, armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. 9 news now has learned about some changes coming to the dced if president they are coming after crews had problems with water pressure fighting last week's fire at the former school board president's house. according to a spokesperson, the department is now staffing two of the city's six special water supply companies, so they can respond to all reports of building fires in parts of

upper northwest and in far southeast and northeast. the 2007 report recommended that all six of the city's special water supply units should have around the clock staffing. chief dennis rubin said last week that funding was not available. you can read more about the changes in our dave statter's blog, statter 911@wusa9.com. and right now, animal control experts are on the scene of a fire in alexandria. it is because fire crews discovered dozens of potentially dangerous snakes. the snakes were inside the home, located in the 5700 block of -- only six of the snakes survived. the snakes are not poisonous and they are onnoise legal own no one was injured in the fire but investigators are trying to figure out exactly how the fire started. tonight, president obama will be in northern virginia.

with three months left before virginiaens select the next governor, the president is scheduled to campaign with democratic candidate key deeds at the tysons hilton. deeds republican opponent bob mcdonnell was supposed to appear in northern virginia last night. the staffers said they had been told that he was delayed at other campaign events, mcdonnell told our gary noneburg on the phone he had a family commitment. his staff echoed his message focusing on national issue an the obama administration. >> this is not the america i knew. i don't want it going his way. this administration is nuts. enough is enough. >> reporter: democrats want to win virginia to show that obama and the agenda is popular. republicans want to win virginia in order to show they are on the rebound and they are

on the comeback trail. >> reporter: recent polls show the republican mcdonnell is leading the race but we will see if the appearance with ' obama will change the numbers. in more you have until monday to post your comment on the budget plan. we told you about this last month about the state website that has been designed for public comments. the board of public works plans to cut $280 million in spending to help address budget woes. you can get links to both sites by going to our website at wusa9.com. click on virginia news or maryland news, depending on where you live and we will have car crash test results in our next "living $mart" segment. that is coming up in 30 minutes. okay. while friends and family mourn the loss of loved ones in that

deadly gymnasium shooting near pittsburgh, more information is surfacing about the gunman who had a rage against women. we have the latest from pittsburgh, pennsylvania. >> reporter: gunman george sodini left at least two disturbing videos on youtube. >> it is easy for me to hide from my emotions for one more day. >> reporter: the 48-year-old loner talks about how he needs to work on his emotions to attract women. >> couch and chair, they match. a woman would be impressed. >> reporter: in another video he tours his home and shows off his reading material which includes a book about dating young women. >> come over here. there's reading material we are familiar with. >> reporter: he lived in this suburban neighborhood for ten years. neighbors say he seemed happy and never thought he would be capable of mass murder. >> i felt he was a loner who liked to keep to himself. >> reporter: patricia lives

across the street from george sodini with her daughter and fiance. she was distressed to learn from george sodini's chilling web diary he had his eye on her daughter. he writes, wow, i just looked out my front window and saw a beautiful college-age girl leave bob fox's house across the street. police say he opened fire on an all-female aerobics class. the instructor is ten week's pregnant and she was shot in each shoulder. >> i put my head down and tried to hold my breath because i was afraid if he saw me breathing he would shoot again. >> reporter: a individual jim is planned tonight for the six women hospitalized and the three who lost their lives. cbs news, pittsburgh. >> still to come when 9 news now continues, they gave auto company bosses a hard time over private jets, but now lawmakers on captiol hill have three new jets, and guess who's picking up that tab?

we'll be right back.

tough times call for tough measures and while congress is being tough on some they are

not being tough on themselves some think. they were blasted for flying too washington aboard private jets only to walk off the tarmac and beg lawmakers for bailout money. now congress is gearing up to fly privately aboard three new jets, already approved and paid for by taxpayers. >> this is exactly why taxpayers are mad is because they have members of congress -- they have bureaucrats preaching to them an how they should spend their money and what they should do and preaching to businesses about how they should spend money, yet they are flying around on private jets. >> reporter: normally big ticket items like gulf stream jets require earmarks but since one of the jets was already on order, no additional earmarks were added for expanding the existing program. also, because there is no new earmarks, legislation does not disclose which member of congress requested the two additional jets.

coming up next, howard has the forecast. it is nice and cool, relatively speaking today. a few sprinkles. look at doppler in a moment. and take you to a break an the allergy update was the dampest we have had. the mold spores in the moderate category. we are talking live doppler 9000 and a heat wave next when 9 news now at noon continues. announcer: miralax is the only brand clinically proven to relieve constipation with no harsh side effects. you'll see. it's clearly different. restore your body's natural rhythm with miralax.

we needed our umbrella this morning but let's put them away for the afternoon. >> okay. but there maybe a passing sprinkle. the nats game will get off here in 20 minutes and other than a brief passing sprinkle we will be fine. temperatures are held in check. last night there was some thunderstorms out ofone them e ofe m hepast colonial beach. where mark washburn one of our regulars here in the chatro om. go to my blog and you can look nd. o ta tsg.in i>>owmo. outstanding. >> i know you like that. >> you like that. >> stuff going on in atth a o.goa od batch of showers last ba night and early this morning. most of it is raced off to area

still have a few light showers lingering around. and we look at that on doppler hd for you. we zoom in. north and west of washington you are pretty much done with it. cumberland breaks in the cloud cover but as we move to the metro, southern montgomery county, prince georges county, even fairfax, a couple of light sprinkles. heaviest stuff down south. zoom in more for you. rockville over to laurel, this is all drifting to the northeast, a couple of sprinkles potomac, great falls back to centreville and toward alexandria. upper marlboro up 301 in annapolis seeing a few light sprinkles out there. heaviest stuff is west of mechanicsville and approaching benedict. south of colonial beach where the lightning coming out of the northern neck. this is moving northeast and there's colonial beach, newland, this is moving in this

direction. in saint mary's county, some rain in calbert as -- calvert, as well. mod rain rain to deal with. temperatures today if we are lucky 79. there maybe a piece or two of thunder. tomorrow, beautiful. after a cool start in the middle 80s very comfortable and then satu, be be an isolated tomorrow late. 91 degrees. so isolated shower, mostly cloudy today. 75 to 80. average high is 88. enjoy it. west winds five to ten. clearing skies almost chilly in mie ws,50 in suburbs, mid- 50s, win chester to culpeper. mid-60s here in town and check out this time lapse today. we had some light sprinkle d bun haze earl anrlvi sibilities have improved but it is still a cool day. this is august and we are only 72. north low s,low 70s, upper 60s in many areas but in southern maryland

mid to upper 70s. once we get rid of this batch of showers from this morning, this weather here back in the ohio valley, that's what we are expecting for tomorrow and then the heat is really going to build. the seven-day forecast, 70 to near 80 in a few spots today. tomorrow, beautiful low humidity, very comfortable. 85 degrees. to the week, here's the heat. 91 on saturday and could be a storm on saturday knight and on sunday and monday, and tuesday it will be hot in the mid-90s. time for pet line nine. b.j. is here from the montgomery county humane society. how are you doing? >> great. >> you brought jordan. >> hi -- say hi to everybody. she's not interested in food. >> jordan is, we think she maybe a schnauzer and a standard poodle combo. she is 6 years old. she was a give up so we know she is good with dogs and kids.

she doesn't like cats too much. if you have cats and interested to bring her in the home you need to test her with that and see if it will work tonight. >> she is healthy. >> she came to us matted up but the folks at the shelter shaved her. her hair is growing back and they are absolutely in love with her. she is sweet, she was patient through all the grooming and she is curious about everything. she looks at everybody in the studio. >> but not food. >> i seldom meet dogs that aren't food motivated. she is a sweet dog. >> i would recommend a yard because handling her to and from the studio, she's a runner. she wants to tug and pull on her leash. so letting her have exercise and get that energy out and she will be a nice quiet camper the rest of the day. >> what's the phone number. >> it is 240-773-5960.

>> all of that information is on our website, also at wusa9.com. go to the pet section. >> thank you, howard. >> j.? c. a ht r>> . yoaroke g something to do this weekend? you need to get out 0 to the old town alexandria farmer's market because they are celebrating national farmer's market week. i have a special chef with me. chef mar roan, he has two restaurants, the grill and jackson 20. he has brought some stuff for us. what makes these dishes special is they use products from the farmers market. >> this is the alexandria farmers market salad at jackson 20. this is on the menu every day. myself or my chef go to the farmer's market and pick up our product and we change the ingredients we use based on seasonality an freshness. >> we need to support these farmers.

>> we do. it is good for the economy. it is good for us to have these great products. >> it is a great farmers market. the oldest, largest continually running market. vendors have been there since 1763. that is incredible. you can get a lot of great things and i didn't even know there was celebrate pardon mer -- farmers market week. >> we need to support these people and give back to our community. especially all of these local guys and in turn we get really fresh, delicious organic products. >> it is wonderful. >> can't beat it. >> i will give you the address. it is the alexandria market square. it is located at 301 king street. i'm going to give you the hours. the hours from 5:30 a.m. until 10:30 saturday. please come out. we are celebrating all week. but you can come any saturday and you will get a chance to meet fantastic people. >> i will be out there doing a

demo this year, which is fresh melon from the market with bacon that came local and bacon and melon vinaigrette. >> and a nice salad. wonderful. smells so good. thank you, chef. i will have to come visit you at the restaurant. >> please do. >> bye-bye.